- TELESCOPE is to DISTANT as MICROSCOPE is to:
Answer: SMALL
A TELESCOPE helps us see things that are DISTANT (the adjective describing what we observe). A MICROSCOPE helps us see things that are SMALL (the parallel adjective). BACTERIA is a specific thing observed, not the general quality. LABORATORY is where microscopes are used. MAGNIFY is what both instruments do, not what they observe.
- Refer to the flowchart below. If CLASS is to STUDENTS, then FOREST is to _____.
Answer: trees
The flowchart shows a container-to-members relationship: School→Classes→Students. It highlights the middle step CLASS : STUDENTS. A forest similarly contains trees as its fundamental members. Rangers (B) protect forests, animals (C) live there but are not defining members, and leaves (D) are parts of trees, so only trees match the grouping relationship.
- Study the family tree diagram. GRANDMOTHER is to GRANDDAUGHTER as UNCLE is to _____.
Answer: niece
The family tree shows downward arrows from older to younger generations. The feminine counterpart for UNCLE's younger female relation is NIECE. Cousin (B) is a different lateral relation, Aunt (C) is female sibling of parent, and Nephew (D) is male, so only niece preserves the relationship.
- Use the pie chart. The chart slices show SEED : PLANT, EGG : BIRD, and CATERPILLAR : BUTTERFLY relationships. Following the same pattern, what completes the ratio SPARK : _____ ?
Answer: flame
Each slice pairs an early stage with its mature outcome. A spark, when it develops, becomes a flame. Paper (A) and match (C) are materials, smoke (D) is a by-product, so only flame fits the cause-to-result relationship.
- FOUNDATION is to BUILDING as ROOTS are to:
Answer: TREE
This question tests your ability to recognize analogical relationships - how two pairs of things relate to each other in the same way. When you see "A is to B as C is to ____," you need to identify the relationship between A and B, then find what has that same relationship to C.
Let's examine how FOUNDATION relates to BUILDING. A foundation is the essential base structure that supports and enables a building to exist. Without a foundation, a building cannot stand properly. The foundation is the underlying support system that everything else depends on.
Now you need to find what has this same "essential supporting base" relationship to the word ROOTS. Think about what roots support and enable to exist. Roots are the underground support system for a tree - they anchor it, provide nutrients, and are essential for the tree's survival and growth. This makes (C) TREE the correct answer, as roots serve as the foundational support for trees just like foundations serve as the foundational support for buildings.
Let's look at why the other options don't work: (A) SOIL is what surrounds roots, but soil doesn't depend on roots for its existence the way a building depends on its foundation. (B) WATER is something roots absorb, not something they fundamentally support. (D) GROWTH is a process that roots enable, but it's not a concrete thing that roots serve as the foundation for, unlike how a foundation supports the concrete structure of a building.
For analogy questions, always identify the specific relationship first, then apply that exact same relationship to find your answer.
- REHEARSAL is to PERFORMANCE as PRACTICE is to:
Answer: COMPETITION
This question tests your understanding of analogical relationships, specifically looking at the connection between preparation and final performance. When you see "X is to Y as Z is to ___," you need to identify the exact relationship between the first pair and find the same relationship in the second pair.
REHEARSAL is to PERFORMANCE because rehearsal is the preparatory activity that leads up to the final, public presentation or show. Similarly, PRACTICE is the preparatory activity that leads up to the main event or final test of skill. The key relationship here is "preparation leads to final demonstration."
Looking at choice D) COMPETITION, this perfectly mirrors the rehearsal-to-performance relationship. Practice prepares you for competition, just as rehearsal prepares you for performance. Both competition and performance represent the "real thing" - the final, often public demonstration of your skills.
Choice A) IMPROVEMENT is too general and ongoing - it's a result of practice, not the specific event practice prepares you for. Choice B) TRAINING is essentially a synonym for practice itself, not what practice leads to. Choice C) EXERCISE is also just another form of practice, not the culminating event.
For analogy questions on the CogAT, always identify the precise relationship in the first pair before looking at answer choices. Ask yourself: "What exactly does the first word lead to or result in?" This prevents you from being distracted by words that are merely related to the topic rather than sharing the same specific relationship pattern.
- Refer to the geometric figure. CIRCLE is to SPHERE as SQUARE is to _____.
Answer: cube
The figure shows 2-D shapes on the left and their 3-D versions on the right: circle→sphere, triangle→pyramid. A square turns into a cube in three dimensions. Cylinder (B) comes from a rectangle, triangle (C) is 2-D, and pyramid (D) relates to a triangle, not a square, so cube is correct.
- SCULPTOR is to CHISEL as WRITER is to:
Answer: PEN
A SCULPTOR uses a CHISEL as their primary tool for creating art. A WRITER uses a PEN as their primary tool for creating written work. NOVEL is what a writer creates, not the tool used. LIBRARY is where books are kept. PUBLISH is what happens after writing, not the tool for writing.
- Refer to the mapping diagram. KEY : LOCK is related like PASSWORD : _____.
Answer: account
Lines on the diagram link physical keys to locks and digital passwords to user accounts. A password unlocks an account. Door (A) and safe (C) are physical objects, computer (B) is hardware; only account parallels the lock as the object being secured.
- ORCHESTRA is to SYMPHONY as TEAM is to:
Answer: GAME
An ORCHESTRA performs a SYMPHONY (a group creates/performs a structured work). Similarly, a TEAM plays a GAME (a group participates in a structured activity). PLAYER is a part of team, not what team creates. VICTORY is a possible outcome, not the structured activity itself. SPORT is too broad a category.
- EVAPORATION is to CONDENSATION as INHALE is to:
Answer: EXHALE
This question tests your ability to recognize opposite relationships, also called antonyms. When you see "X is to Y as Z is to ___," you need to identify the relationship between the first pair and find the same relationship in the second pair.
Evaporation and condensation are opposite processes in the water cycle. Evaporation occurs when liquid water changes into water vapor (gas), while condensation is when water vapor changes back into liquid. These processes are direct opposites of each other.
Now you need to find what has the same opposite relationship with "inhale." Inhaling means breathing air into your lungs, so the opposite would be breathing air out of your lungs, which is exhaling. Choice C) EXHALE creates the perfect parallel: inhale and exhale are opposite actions in breathing, just like evaporation and condensation are opposite processes with water.
Let's examine why the other choices don't work: A) BREATHE is too general—it includes both inhaling and exhaling, so it's not the opposite of inhale. B) OXYGEN is a substance involved in breathing, not an action, and definitely not the opposite of inhaling. D) LUNGS are the body part used for breathing, but again, this is a structure, not an action opposite to inhaling.
When you encounter analogy questions, always identify the specific relationship in the first pair—whether it's opposites, cause and effect, part to whole, or function relationships—then look for that same relationship pattern in your answer choices.
- Look at the timeline graph. MORNING : DAWN corresponds to EVENING : _____.
Answer: dusk
The timeline marks dawn at the start of morning and dusk at the start of evening. Following the same start-of-period relationship, evening pairs with dusk. Midnight (A) occurs at night's middle, noon (C) is midday, and sunrise (D) is another word for dawn, so only dusk matches.
